FIC: "Catalyst" (Part Twenty-Nine) (Dave Wenham, Harry Sinclair, Karl Urban, Orlando Bloom)
Title: "Catalyst" (Part Twenty-Nine)
Authors: Brenda (azewewish) & Jo (idiosyncratic)
Series: Claimed Universe
Notes: Click here for full disclaimers and pairings.
Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight | Part Nine | Part Ten | Part Eleven | Part Twelve | Part Thirteen | Part Fourteen | Part Fifteen | Part Sixteen | Part Seventeen | Part Eighteen | Part Nineteen | Part Twenty | Part Twenty-One | Part Twenty-Two | Part Twenty-Three | Part Twenty-Four | Part Twenty-Five | Part Twenty-Six | Part Twenty-Seven | Part Twenty-Eight |
When Orlando woke up, lazily stretching under the sheets, it was full dark. The space next to him was empty, and cool. Which meant Karl had been up for awhile. He yawned as he stood, dragging the sheets with him, and made his way out the back patio and down to the small stretch of private beach. As expected, he saw Karl sitting just beyond the break, watching the waves.
He flopped down next to Karl, sand flying up everywhere. "Nice night," he mumbled, scooting closer until Karl wrapped an arm around him and he was able to snuggle against Karl's side.
"Very," Karl agreed. "Did I wake you when I left?"
"Nope. Didn't run you out of the bed, did I?"
"Of course not." His hand slid down to curl around Orlando's waist. "I came out here to keep from disturbing you."
"Which means," Orlando stated through another yawn, "that you're thinking. What's going on in your head, love?"
"Just thinking about all the things that've changed. That are going to change. I'm always joking I don't want to get bored, but this is approaching surreal."
Orlando nodded and looked out at the water. The constant motion was soothing, easing his nerves. "It's going to change us, isn't it?" Orlando asked, knowing Karl wouldn't lie to him. "Me and you, I mean."
"Not too much, I hope. What we have means far too much for me to give it up willingly, even to give Harry what should have always been his."
"I don't want to lose you," He studied the heavy signet ring he'd worn on his finger for the last ten years. He wondered if he'd have to give it to Josh and take some smaller token of Karl's when this was done. "I don't want to lose any of it."
"Which is why we need to take more time together," Karl said, and lifted Orlando's hand, kissing the ring, before setting it back in Orlando's lap. "You're not the only one that needs this, I promise."
Orlando took a deep breath and leaned against Karl's shoulder. "Karl," he said, hating how needy he sounded. Damn it, he'd thought he was long over this. "The ring, um, do I have to...give it back?"
"Why would you ask such a thing?"
"I dunno, I thought maybe when you and Josh, y'know..."
"Oh, Orli." Karl tucked his fingers under Orlando's chin, lifted it to meet his gaze. "That ring is yours, and will be until the end of time. What you and I have is ours and cannot be replaced or replicated, just as what I have with Harry is unique, just as what I have with Josh is unique. Josh will wear his own token when the time comes."
Orlando didn't want to ask, but he had to know, had to hear it from Karl. "Do you love him?"
Karl nodded. "I do. Just as I love you and Harry."
Well, he couldn’t say he was surprised. "Then, I'll try to get along with him. For you."
"I appreciate that, but I think you'll find you both have a lot more in common than you think once you start to relax around him."
"I've been relaxed around him."
"I know, I remember you two curled up like kittens together back in London," Karl grinned. "People fight. You and I have had our fair share."
"We have," Orlando admitted, with a smile. "I, um, I'm sorry I hit you. That evening at the house, I mean. Harry said...well, it doesn't matter what he said. I'm sorry."
"No, go on. What did Harry say?"
"He, um, just gave me some advice. On how to fight you."
"I'm not surprised," Karl laughed. "He's always claiming he doesn't beat me enough."
"I swear, if I live to be a million years old, I will never get either of you." In fact, the more he learned about them, the more he was convinced he'd never know anything.
"We're not that difficult. We just have a long history between us."
"I know." He hesitated over his next words, knowing how they were going to sound. But they'd talked earlier about being honest with each other in order to keep everything as close to the same as possible. "Sometimes...around you and Harry, I feel like, I dunno, like I'm this incredibly stupid, naïve child who will never grow up."
"You know that's not how either of us sees you, right?"
The question was asked so softly that Orlando felt like a right prat for even thinking it, let alone saying it out loud. "Yeah, I know. But I still feel that way. Sometimes."
When he risked another look at Karl, he saw that Karl was frowning. "If we've ever treated you that way -"
"No. No, it's not that." Christ, he was fucking this all up. "You both have placed so much trust in me."
"Then, what is it?"
"I don't know if I can put it into words." Twisting around, Orlando faced Karl, letting the sheet pool in his lap. The cool breeze off the water slid over his skin, making him shiver. "It's just that...no matter how old I get, I'm always going to be a child compared to the two of you. I'm never going to be where you are. When I listen to you and Harry talk sometimes about things you've done and places you've been...I want to contribute to the conversation, and I can't. And I know it comes with age, but it's just...it's frustrating, I guess."
"Now you know how I feel sometimes with Viggo," Karl replied, and Orlando was pleased to see he was smiling.
"Everyone's a child compared to Viggo."
"Liv's far older."
Orlando was dying to ask about her and her relationship with Karl, but one thing at a time. "How'd you get over it? I mean, feeling like you were this young kid."
Karl leaned in for a soft kiss. "I got older," he replied, and smiled again when Orlando just lifted an eyebrow. "There's no magic formula. But as we move on, we'll have our own experiences to draw on and you won't feel so left out."
"I hope so," Orlando sighed. Then he realized how he sounded and grimaced. "I don't mean... Fuck. I love listening to you and Harry, you know that, right?"
"I know."
"I think I'm going to learn another language. And...I think I'm going to ask Harry to teach me how to fight."
"He'd be happy to have you as a pupil."
"You really think so?"
"Absolutely," Karl assured him. "He spent centuries training men in weapons and warfare and fighting. That's why he still gets offers from the military so much. It's what he's best at, unlike the politics of the Council, which he barely tolerates, or the companies he runs because they're entrusted in his care."
"So explain that to me." Pulling his knees up to his chest, Orlando wrapped his arms around his legs and rested his chin on one knee. "If he hates politics so much, why did he agree to sit on the Council?"
Karl wrapped the sheet back around Orlando's shoulders. "Inside. You look like you're freezing and I think I've been out here long enough."
Karl stood and held out his hand, and Orlando took it, allowing Karl to pull him to his feet. They started towards the patio. "To answer your question simply, Harry's on the Council because I asked."
"And the complicated answer?"
"The Council needs someone like him. Someone not versed in politics, who doesn't have the patience for bullshit or obfuscation. He sees things as a general - clean and precise and linear. And we need that."
"I see." Orlando nodded, grateful for the weight of Karl's arm around his shoulders. "In other words, you need someone who isn't too PC to tell Marcus to shut the bloody hell up when he gets going."
Karl's laughter rang bright and clear as he held the sliding door open for Orlando to walk through. "That, too," he said. "And Marcus, in all fairness, does much good on Council, especially in working as a liaison with the mortal governments. He's just..."
"Fond of the sound of his own voice?" Now that Orlando was back inside, he let the sheets drop and started rummaging through his suitcase for a pair of shorts.
"We all have our faults."
"At least he isn't as stuffy as Gerard."
"True. It does seem a shame to cover this up," Karl continued, and framed Orlando's hips with his hands.
Orlando froze in place. "I, um, figured since you're dressed, it was only fair if I put on something."
"I can always get naked," Karl suggested, running his hands along Orlando's back. "For you, I'll make that sacrifice."
"Sure you're up to it?" The shorts fell to the floor, unnoticed, and Orlando shifted his weight to press back against Karl. He should probably stop while he was ahead, but his mouth was determined to run away with him. "I mean, we had a bit of a marathon session earlier, and Harry's always calling you old man..."
"I'm sure I can muster the energy," Karl replied, before lifting Orlando up off his feet and tossing him to the bed.
Orlando yelped in surprise at the sudden movement, but before he could catch his breath, Karl was looming over him, and pinning him to the mattress. With a soft exhale, Orlando cupped the back of Karl's head and relaxed onto the pillows, body already pliant under Karl's hands. This had definitely been a great idea.
(To Be Continued)
Authors: Brenda (azewewish) & Jo (idiosyncratic)
Series: Claimed Universe
Notes: Click here for full disclaimers and pairings.
Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight | Part Nine | Part Ten | Part Eleven | Part Twelve | Part Thirteen | Part Fourteen | Part Fifteen | Part Sixteen | Part Seventeen | Part Eighteen | Part Nineteen | Part Twenty | Part Twenty-One | Part Twenty-Two | Part Twenty-Three | Part Twenty-Four | Part Twenty-Five | Part Twenty-Six | Part Twenty-Seven | Part Twenty-Eight |
When Orlando woke up, lazily stretching under the sheets, it was full dark. The space next to him was empty, and cool. Which meant Karl had been up for awhile. He yawned as he stood, dragging the sheets with him, and made his way out the back patio and down to the small stretch of private beach. As expected, he saw Karl sitting just beyond the break, watching the waves.
He flopped down next to Karl, sand flying up everywhere. "Nice night," he mumbled, scooting closer until Karl wrapped an arm around him and he was able to snuggle against Karl's side.
"Very," Karl agreed. "Did I wake you when I left?"
"Nope. Didn't run you out of the bed, did I?"
"Of course not." His hand slid down to curl around Orlando's waist. "I came out here to keep from disturbing you."
"Which means," Orlando stated through another yawn, "that you're thinking. What's going on in your head, love?"
"Just thinking about all the things that've changed. That are going to change. I'm always joking I don't want to get bored, but this is approaching surreal."
Orlando nodded and looked out at the water. The constant motion was soothing, easing his nerves. "It's going to change us, isn't it?" Orlando asked, knowing Karl wouldn't lie to him. "Me and you, I mean."
"Not too much, I hope. What we have means far too much for me to give it up willingly, even to give Harry what should have always been his."
"I don't want to lose you," He studied the heavy signet ring he'd worn on his finger for the last ten years. He wondered if he'd have to give it to Josh and take some smaller token of Karl's when this was done. "I don't want to lose any of it."
"Which is why we need to take more time together," Karl said, and lifted Orlando's hand, kissing the ring, before setting it back in Orlando's lap. "You're not the only one that needs this, I promise."
Orlando took a deep breath and leaned against Karl's shoulder. "Karl," he said, hating how needy he sounded. Damn it, he'd thought he was long over this. "The ring, um, do I have to...give it back?"
"Why would you ask such a thing?"
"I dunno, I thought maybe when you and Josh, y'know..."
"Oh, Orli." Karl tucked his fingers under Orlando's chin, lifted it to meet his gaze. "That ring is yours, and will be until the end of time. What you and I have is ours and cannot be replaced or replicated, just as what I have with Harry is unique, just as what I have with Josh is unique. Josh will wear his own token when the time comes."
Orlando didn't want to ask, but he had to know, had to hear it from Karl. "Do you love him?"
Karl nodded. "I do. Just as I love you and Harry."
Well, he couldn’t say he was surprised. "Then, I'll try to get along with him. For you."
"I appreciate that, but I think you'll find you both have a lot more in common than you think once you start to relax around him."
"I've been relaxed around him."
"I know, I remember you two curled up like kittens together back in London," Karl grinned. "People fight. You and I have had our fair share."
"We have," Orlando admitted, with a smile. "I, um, I'm sorry I hit you. That evening at the house, I mean. Harry said...well, it doesn't matter what he said. I'm sorry."
"No, go on. What did Harry say?"
"He, um, just gave me some advice. On how to fight you."
"I'm not surprised," Karl laughed. "He's always claiming he doesn't beat me enough."
"I swear, if I live to be a million years old, I will never get either of you." In fact, the more he learned about them, the more he was convinced he'd never know anything.
"We're not that difficult. We just have a long history between us."
"I know." He hesitated over his next words, knowing how they were going to sound. But they'd talked earlier about being honest with each other in order to keep everything as close to the same as possible. "Sometimes...around you and Harry, I feel like, I dunno, like I'm this incredibly stupid, naïve child who will never grow up."
"You know that's not how either of us sees you, right?"
The question was asked so softly that Orlando felt like a right prat for even thinking it, let alone saying it out loud. "Yeah, I know. But I still feel that way. Sometimes."
When he risked another look at Karl, he saw that Karl was frowning. "If we've ever treated you that way -"
"No. No, it's not that." Christ, he was fucking this all up. "You both have placed so much trust in me."
"Then, what is it?"
"I don't know if I can put it into words." Twisting around, Orlando faced Karl, letting the sheet pool in his lap. The cool breeze off the water slid over his skin, making him shiver. "It's just that...no matter how old I get, I'm always going to be a child compared to the two of you. I'm never going to be where you are. When I listen to you and Harry talk sometimes about things you've done and places you've been...I want to contribute to the conversation, and I can't. And I know it comes with age, but it's just...it's frustrating, I guess."
"Now you know how I feel sometimes with Viggo," Karl replied, and Orlando was pleased to see he was smiling.
"Everyone's a child compared to Viggo."
"Liv's far older."
Orlando was dying to ask about her and her relationship with Karl, but one thing at a time. "How'd you get over it? I mean, feeling like you were this young kid."
Karl leaned in for a soft kiss. "I got older," he replied, and smiled again when Orlando just lifted an eyebrow. "There's no magic formula. But as we move on, we'll have our own experiences to draw on and you won't feel so left out."
"I hope so," Orlando sighed. Then he realized how he sounded and grimaced. "I don't mean... Fuck. I love listening to you and Harry, you know that, right?"
"I know."
"I think I'm going to learn another language. And...I think I'm going to ask Harry to teach me how to fight."
"He'd be happy to have you as a pupil."
"You really think so?"
"Absolutely," Karl assured him. "He spent centuries training men in weapons and warfare and fighting. That's why he still gets offers from the military so much. It's what he's best at, unlike the politics of the Council, which he barely tolerates, or the companies he runs because they're entrusted in his care."
"So explain that to me." Pulling his knees up to his chest, Orlando wrapped his arms around his legs and rested his chin on one knee. "If he hates politics so much, why did he agree to sit on the Council?"
Karl wrapped the sheet back around Orlando's shoulders. "Inside. You look like you're freezing and I think I've been out here long enough."
Karl stood and held out his hand, and Orlando took it, allowing Karl to pull him to his feet. They started towards the patio. "To answer your question simply, Harry's on the Council because I asked."
"And the complicated answer?"
"The Council needs someone like him. Someone not versed in politics, who doesn't have the patience for bullshit or obfuscation. He sees things as a general - clean and precise and linear. And we need that."
"I see." Orlando nodded, grateful for the weight of Karl's arm around his shoulders. "In other words, you need someone who isn't too PC to tell Marcus to shut the bloody hell up when he gets going."
Karl's laughter rang bright and clear as he held the sliding door open for Orlando to walk through. "That, too," he said. "And Marcus, in all fairness, does much good on Council, especially in working as a liaison with the mortal governments. He's just..."
"Fond of the sound of his own voice?" Now that Orlando was back inside, he let the sheets drop and started rummaging through his suitcase for a pair of shorts.
"We all have our faults."
"At least he isn't as stuffy as Gerard."
"True. It does seem a shame to cover this up," Karl continued, and framed Orlando's hips with his hands.
Orlando froze in place. "I, um, figured since you're dressed, it was only fair if I put on something."
"I can always get naked," Karl suggested, running his hands along Orlando's back. "For you, I'll make that sacrifice."
"Sure you're up to it?" The shorts fell to the floor, unnoticed, and Orlando shifted his weight to press back against Karl. He should probably stop while he was ahead, but his mouth was determined to run away with him. "I mean, we had a bit of a marathon session earlier, and Harry's always calling you old man..."
"I'm sure I can muster the energy," Karl replied, before lifting Orlando up off his feet and tossing him to the bed.
Orlando yelped in surprise at the sudden movement, but before he could catch his breath, Karl was looming over him, and pinning him to the mattress. With a soft exhale, Orlando cupped the back of Karl's head and relaxed onto the pillows, body already pliant under Karl's hands. This had definitely been a great idea.
(To Be Continued)